Tos Crew Review:Times Alive by City Creek Press

You can view more videos of Times Alive here.

Times Alive is a computer program based on the popular book, "Times Tables the Fun Way" by Judy Liautaud and Dave Rodriguez.  The program teaches children how to memorize their multiplication problems in a fun and entertaining way.  It also teaches easy ways to quickly solve some of the problems.

The CD-ROM teaches ways to solve problems, such as, a story about Zero, the king, and how he makes every number become a zero, therefore 0x1=0.  Another way multiplication problems are taught is through picture stories.  To understand 6x6=36 the child is told the story of two 6's crossing the desert.  They are very thirsty and a thirsty six sounds like 36.  Each story is told while the child watches an illustration, then there is a song about the story and finally a quiz to check for understanding.

This is an entertaining program with fun stories, songs and pictures.  I think it will take more than one run through for a child to have the times problems presented in this program memorized.  I did find a few tips helpful as I was quizzing my children on their flashcards.  My youngest student was stuck on zeros and I reminded her that zero was the king and then she didn't miss any more zeros that day.

My younger boys who are 4 and 2 enjoyed watching the stories and songs while an older sibling used the program.  My children really enjoyed using the program in the beginning but got tired of the songs after awhile.  I think if I would have had them move through the program at a slower pace they would have enjoyed it more.  

I think this is a great resource to introduce multiplication memorization.  It is a helpful and fun extra for math study. I think the program would work well for students who are visual or auditory learners since each tip or story has songs and illustrations.  You can check out the video samples at the City Creek Press YouTube channel with your child to see what she thinks before purchase to be sure it will fit her learning style.

To purchase Times Alive or other resources visit City Creek Press.  They have many different resources available to help children learn their addition and multiplication facts.  Packages are available for classrooms, homeschools, and one child.  Also if you purchase a package the times alive program is half price!

Times Alive Software CD-ROM $48.95

As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of this program to review and have given my honest opinion.

To read more crew reviews visit TOS Homescool Crew blog.

How To Survive Homeschooling While Pregnant or With a New Baby

Well, I'm still alive and I've had six babies since we started homeschooling so I guess I might have a thing or two to share with you! 

1. Plan to take time off.
Every time I'm expecting, I plan to homeschool until the delivery but am flexible enough to know that I might not be able to, so I add an extra week off of school before the birth into my plan.  I try not to use that week so I can transfer it to after the baby is born.  I also plan at least two weeks off after the baby is born.  When I am feeling recovered and used to a new baby schedule we begin our schoolwork again.  I would suggest planning way more time off than you think you will need.  You can always take a month off in the middle of the school year and add it on to the end or start earlier than usual. 

2. Start out slowly when you go back to school.
With younger students you can read aloud as you sit in a comfy chair caring for the new babe.  Anything that your students can do independently can be added back in right away.  If your students need supervision you can set up a place for them to work nearby.  Add in a little less than you think you can handle.  

3. Realize your limitations.
You will think you can do more than you really can without getting frustrated.  Plan to cut school down to the bare minimum and keep it there for at least three months.  Baby care takes a lot of time and energy and if you are waking to care for your baby at night you will be tired and less patient.  Admit that you are a mere mortal, and do less.  Your family will thank you!  Your children can learn a lot from all the time you will be able to read aloud to them and they can read to you and each other!

4. Use your resources!
I'm talking about your other children here.  Older children can listen and help younger ones with a phonics lesson.  They can check each other's work or even their own work.  Teach them these skills while you are pregnant.  They don't have to be much older to help either!  The children can take turns holding or playing with the baby so you can work with a student.  I set up a play area within my view where baby will be safe and try to let him spend a little time there even if it is only 5 minutes at first.  You can do a quick phonics lesson or help a young student with math in 5 minutes!  Toddlers make great go-fers, praise them for being such a big helper and they will love to run for a diaper, take baby clothes to the laundry, etc.

5. Naps are usually predictable.
Most babies will have a predictable schedule of a morning and afternoon nap time.  After you get her down you can use that time to work with your students.  I try to get all of my read-alouds and anything else I can do while holding a baby done before nap so we will have that quiet time to do more focused work. 

6. Don't Be Afraid to Take a Day Off!
There will be those days when the baby doesn't nap as expected, the house is a disaster, and lunch is late.  Just admit it was a little more than you could handle and call a short day or a day off and take care of the baby.  I still use this strategy and my youngest is 2 and a half.  I'll ask the children if they will help me get some household or yard work done for a half day of school and they always go for it! 

7. Ask For Help
I always think I will be able to do more than I really can with a newborn.  I don't get back to my usual amount of home and school responsibilities until the baby is over a year old.  I have to ask my husband and older children for help.  If someone offers help take it even if you don't think you need it.  Use the time to rest or enjoy your baby.

8. Train your children while you are pregnant.
I teach them how to get their own breakfasts knowing there will be some days I will sleep late(ha, I still sleep late!).  My oldest two were 5 and 4 when I had my third child.  I taught them how to get the milk out, pour cereal and milk, eat and then place their dishes in the sink.  I also taught them how to help load the dishwasher, move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, make a simple lunch, and how to keep the bathroom tidy.  Little ones can do lots of simple tasks which will reduce the burden on you.  You can pay them for their work, praise them a lot, or find another way to motivate them to help. 

Think of things you can have them do for themselves in the homeschool.  My children have the same schedule each day and will follow it even if I'm out of the room or sick in bed.  They know how to find the websites and log into programs they use for computer work, how much quiet reading they are supposed to do and where to find new books when they finish one, how to illustrate and narrate/write a notebook page and what topic is covered on each day of the week, and how to help the preschooler and kindergarten students stay out of trouble.  My 7th grade student does his work independently and my only job is to make sure he did his work, discuss his reading with him, and check his math. 

9. Rest!
By the end of each pregnancy I need more rest than I want to admit.  I usually take an afternoon nap and try to sit with my feet up as often as possible.  You can nap on the couch while the children read or play quietly or if the weather is nice send them outside for a bit.  You can lay down with your feet propped up on the couch as you read aloud to your students.  Get caught up on your rest now while you can!

10. Eat well.
Eat enough protein during pregnancy and breastfeeding so you will have energy.  Have snacks ready to go in the fridge so you won't go hungry when you don't have time to make something.  Easy protein snacks to keep on hand are hard boiled eggs, cheese, nuts, and cooked meat.  Pair them with veggie sticks or fruit for a quick and balanced snack.

You can read more tips on this topic and others by visiting TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

The Beginning Reader's Bible Illustrated by Marijke ten Cate Published by Thomas Nelson

I love this book!  It is beautiful and the illustrations are captivating.  The text is from the International Children's Bible so it is easier for a young reader to read and understand.  Each new story has a title and lists the book, chapter and verses it contains.  Each chapter and verse is marked as it would be in a full Bible and you can easily reference your Bible for further information.

Throughout the Beginning Reader's Bible you will find memory verses, activities, and prayers to make the story more personal to your child.  The back of the book contains resources to help your child study her Bible.  There is an old and new testament chart so the child can track his reading, lists of the twelve apostles, twelve tribes of Israel, songs, and a memory verse chart.  This 192 page, hardbound book is large(9x9) which allows for many details in each illustration.  Even if your child is too young to read he would enjoy studying the pictures as you read aloud to him.

I was so surprised when I received this book.  It was large, beautiful and not what I expected for a beginning reader's Bible.  I thought it was going to be full of large print with the Bible stories told in easy to read words.  This Bible is for a reader who is reading well on her own.  My seven year old daughter picked it up and read for an hour before taking a break.  In two days she has read half of the book!

This will be a popular book in my house for read aloud time and for my younger readers to read on their own.  If you are looking for a beautiful Bible storybook I highly recommend that you take a look at this one!

I received a free copy of this book and have shared my honest opinion.

Life in the Winter Garden

Isn't this a lovely view?  I'll move the fabric so you can see if anything is alive under there.

Spinach

And Kale!  The protection of a piece of fabric is all these plants needed to stay alive even in the coldest weather.  The spinach and kale I left uncovered died long ago.

Under another piece of fabric are some Savoy cabbages.  These were attacked by the chickens a few months ago but are starting to grow back.

Here is the hay bed.

Inside the hay bed you can see some lettuce and corn salad.

More corn salad.  I planted a little late so not everything was established enough to make it through the cold winter.

Spinach.  Interesting how the spinach under the fabric is larger than the spinach in the hay bed.  I may have planted this later and this spot is slightly shaded by the grapevine.

A pansy flower!  I wish I had planted more of these last fall.  It's so nice to go outside and see at least one flower.  It gives me hope that someday soon I'll have lots of flowers to look at.

Here is the rose that grows in the middle of the herb bed.  See all of the green leaves?  I think I will have some early roses on this plant!  This is the plant my mom bought for me when we were visiting her in northern California.  It's a cutting from the old roses that grow at the Empire Mine cottage.

This is how all of my other roses look. 

I need to find some more old hardy roses to grow in my yard, don't I?

Fit Mommy Friday

I had a good week.  I lost 1.8 pounds and 1.25 inches.  I have 20 pounds to go!

I am going to start interval training.  I tried it one time this week and will aim for three times a week.  Here's how I did it.  I did something like jumping jacks, burpees, running in place, or jumping in place for each 30 second exercise period and then walked for 30 seconds for each rest phase.  By the end of 7 intervals I was winded and felt like I had worked hard.  I might try some sprints with the children when it gets warmer.  I found two free apps for my itouch that count down the time so I'll try them next week and report on whether they are good or not.

I'm still doing my pull up attempt three times a week.  My elbow bends a tiny bit more and now I can pull my knees up twice while I'm hanging.  I'm getting stronger!

My every other day Basic Workout Plus(BWO+) is over.  Now I will be doing one workout every three days until I reach the size I want to be.

I made some fermented beets and have added them to one meal per day.  I think it's time to work on some liver cleansing since I've been losing weight for awhile.  I also had a little raw carrot so hopefully I can remember to keep adding raw foods in and move out of the GAPS intro phase soon!  

Friday- walk 60mins, strength
Saturday- BWO+
Sunday- rest
Monday- walk 60 mins, strength
Tuesday- walk 75 mins, BWO+
Wednesday- walk 30 mins, strength, 7 intervals
Thursday- walk 30 mins

Inch loss!
Waist -.5
Abs - .5
Right Thigh -.25

So how did your week go?

Tos Crew Review: TenMarks

Tenmarks is an internet based math practice program for grades 3-10. After you sign your child up for their grade level of math the program generates 4 worksheets containing 10 problems each week.  If the student misses 3 problems or less they will have the option to fast track.  If he chooses to fast track he will instantly be given new worksheets to work on instead of waiting another week for more.

There is an option to practice the concept taught on each worksheet with 30 extra problems.  As the child finishes worksheets, games are unlocked for him to play.  Some of the games are just for fun and others sharpen thinking skills.  Different concepts are represented by a human figure.  As each concept is mastered the man is colored in with the percent of work completed noted next to him.

As a parent you can also set your own reward for the student to work towards.  Customer service is available by email.  I contacted them by email on New Year's Eve and received a prompt reply!  My request to have my daughter's grade level changed was fulfilled by the next business day.  Your student can take a break from working by setting the program to vacation and it will be put on hold for as long as you need it to be. 

You will be sent a weekly email listing the new worksheets your child will be working on that week so you can keep track of his progress.  You can also check progress on the website when you log into your parent account.  You can also change the order the concepts will be taught in.  If your child doesn't understand a concept there is a teaching video which he can watch and hints to use.

You know your children like a program when they log in on their own and use it on the weekends or over a holiday break from school!  That's just what my children did over Christmas break and most weekends since they've been using this program.

Some of the concepts were new to my students but after watching the video or using the hints they were able to grasp them with little or no help from me. My son worked hard on each set of worksheets so he would be able to fast track.  My daughter didn't do as well so she used the practice option to study the worksheets before moving on the next week.

Hannah and Elijah enjoyed playing the games as they unlocked them.  My only criticism is that I can't control how long or if they can play games.  Some days they logged on and began playing games instead of working on math.  I had to make a rule that they had to do a worksheet or practice session before playing one game.

"You can unlock games every four or five worksheets."  Elijah, age 9

"It's really cool and I really like it because it teaches you about math.  It's really fun 'cause you get games."  Hannah, age 11

I think this program is a nice way to give children supplemental math work.  I think the extra practice will help sharpen their math skills.  TenMarks would be a wonderful way to keep your child's brain in math mode over summer vacation.  It could also be helpful for struggling students.  The different teaching format may be all your student needs to help him grasp a concept he hasn't understood.

Free Trial

TenMarks Pricing:
$10 for one month
$49 for six months
$89 for twelve months

To read more reviews of this program please visit TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

I received a free subscription to this website and have given my honest opinion.

Dr. Pepper Texas Chocolate Cake and Happy Birthday Hannah

My oldest daughter just had a birthday and turned 11.  Wow, already!

She chose a Dr. Pepper Texas Chocolate Cake for her Birthday cake.  We baked it together.  I wish I could share the recipe but according to the copyright laws I found, I can't.

The recipe is in this cookbook which is full of yummy things whether you like B-B-Q-(I don't) or not.  I have not tried the cake as I have always been sugar free whenever we've baked it.  My family assures me that it is yummy!  My chocolate hater even likes it.  They say it has a Dr. Pepper flavor to it.

Here are the ingredients.  I substitute butter for the margarine and milk for the buttermilk.

Hannah helping.  She sewed the apron a few years ago.  I think it's time for another sewing lesson!

Here it is finished and iced.  It's a layer cake but I just baked it in a glass dish and it turned out fine.

Ready to eat, aren't you hungry now?

And here is the birthday girl enjoying her presents after her birthday meal.  She ordered ham, baked beans, homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, and a veggie platter.

Make a wish! 

I hope it was a good one!

Blabbage of the Week

"First thing, you got up too late!"

It's been a long day.  Course, it doesn't help that I didn't get up 'till after 8.  When my four year old came in my room he said, "First thing, you got up too late!"  Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Isaac!  I haven't been sleeping well and so I feel tired all day.  I don't know if it's because of the exercise I've been doing or because I'm still regaining strength from the cold I had last month. 

The culprit

One of my children decided he would not play along today so that made school end later than usual.  My older boys have a basketball game tonight but I think I'm going to stay home and vegetate.  I think some of my naughty students will be staying home with me and going to bed early. 

The lone survivor who played wii today.

The children earn points which are converted to minutes for wii playing.  I'm changing my redemption policy.  If they lose their school point they can't use their wii time.  Hopefully, this will cut down on some of the complaining I have to hear each day. 

What I will not be braving the cold tonight to watch.  I hope they forgive me.

I need to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine but it is cold out there!  I know once I'm out there I'll be fine, it's just making myself get over the thought of being cold that stops me from going out. 

Today was one of those days when I could have burnt the home schoolhouse down!

I wish I could have some chocolate!  It is not on my GAPS diet so I won't.  Maybe I can smell the cocoa in the pantry and that will help.  I'm probably just craving a caffeine hit which is also not on my diet.  Oh, well, I guess I'll live, I always do. 

So how was your day?  Are you having a wonderful week?  I hope so!

Tos Crew Review: Holman Ilustrated Bible Dictionary From LifeWay Christian Stores

If you would like to see the inside of this book visit the publisher here.

The Holman Bible Dictionary for Kids, sold by LifeWay Christian Stores, is a colorful tool to help children learn the meaning of a Bible word or to learn more about Bible facts.  It is based on the Holman Bible Dictionary and the Holman Pocket Bible Dictionary.  This dictionary is for students ages 5-12.  Besides definitions the book is full of charts, illustrations, photographs, maps and reconstructions.  Biblical references are listed for almost every definition so the student can read it in context in his Bible.  There is also a pronunciation guide for more difficult words.  You can keep this large colorful book with your Bible so it will be near by when you want to look up a word your children don't understand.

When we received this book I set it out on the dining table to see if my children would be interested in it.  They all took turns looking through it, stopping to read some of the definitions and other information.  When we realized people in the Bible were listed we looked up my children's names and read them aloud.  We enjoyed seeing illustrations of a few of them.

Most pages have one or two large illustrations, photos or maps, with a few smaller ones or blocks of color along with definitions.  The pages are bright and inviting.  The illustrations are beautiful and realistic.  There aren't any cartoons or other things that would keep an older child, teen, or adult from using the book.  The images are well chosen and add information to each definition.

"It teaches you about the Bible."  Elijah, age 9

"It has pictures, shows you stuff, it's interesting."  Nathan, age 12

"I liked that it had a picture of Hannah praying for a son."  Sarah, age 7

I think this book is a wonderful resource to have on hand and that we will use it for many years to come. 

To purchase visit  Lifewaystores.com
Holman Bible Dictionary for Kids $14.99

To read more reviews of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary visit TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

I received a free copy of this book from LifeWay Christian stores and have shared my honest opinion.

Lessons Learned From Basketball: A Pep Talk

Our two oldest sons are playing basketball for the first time this year.  They are on a new team which is made up of Jr. high and high school students because they go to a small K-12 charter school.  Every game is a challenge but the team plays hard and is improving with each game.  My sons are the tallest so one or both play for the whole game.

Our team is in white.

Last week as I was sitting with my younger children, watching the game, I started to think about how much I criticise myself when I am not playing well in the game of parenting and homeschooling.  I watched as these young men attempted and missed basket after basket but kept on trying.  So many times when I miss as a parent I start reminding myself of all the other times I have failed.  Sometimes, I feel that I should just give up and even end up in tears, alone in my room.

There's my oldest in the back with the dark hair, right behind the basketball.

In basketball you don't see anyone flop on the floor in tears and refuse to go on.  You don't hear the other players berating their fellow teammates for a missed basket.  You hear the coach and teammates cheering them on as they head in for another attempt.  They keep going, they work hard and do their best each time.  Can you imagine what would happen if they did just stand there in fear that they would miss every basket, too frozen to even try again?

The blond(#10) running away is my second son, Jacob.

I realized that I need to stop beating myself over the head with ever parenting mistake I have ever made, accept that I missed the goal, and keep moving forward, looking for another opportunity to take another shot. 

Think what would happen if we only kept track of each score instead of each failed attempt.  Do you ever weigh how well you are doing against the failure, or do you only track the mistakes?  I track the mistakes without the balance of what I do right.  All the times I read aloud to the children, listen to their stories, help them with their schoolwork, or cook a special treat for them are lost in my contemplation of the mistake I have just made.

I am calling a foul on myself and will be willing to ask for a time out when I need it, to recover from my mistake and then I will get back out there to look for another chance at that perfect shot.  I'm going to cheer myself on and try to keep track of my successes instead of my failures!

Of course, there will be lots of prayer, repentance, and asking for forgiveness on my journey but I will not be crippled by mistakes anymore.  I don't think God wants us to sit out the game because we are not good enough.  How will we learn to play well if we don't practice and play in each game?  We may not ever make it to the professional level but our children will be delighted that we are willing to stay in the game and stick it out with them!

Do you struggle by expecting perfection from yourself?  Of keeping score of all the fails instead of the successes?  How do you handle this situation in your life?

Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst Review and Giveaway

Lysa Terkeurst gives us a new view of what a healthy relationship with food is.  Throughout the book she teaches how craving food can be replaced with craving God.

This book is not a diet book.  It is about finding peace with yourself and your eating habits.  Each chapter is a Bible study/devotional which takes you through a different aspect of the struggles we have with food.  At the end of each chapter are questions for you to ask yourself to help you apply the lesson to your life.

As I read this book I agreed with the concept of replacing cravings for food with cravings for God and His word.  There were many topics that I hadn't even thought about covered in this book.  I enjoyed the personal reflections questions at the end of each chapter.  They helped me to make the topic of each chapter more personal.

I received a free copy of this book and have expressed my own opinion in this review.

Win a brand new KINDLE from Lysa Terkeurst during the Made To Crave KINDLE Giveaway!


To celebrate the release of Made to Crave and the MTC Small Group DVD Study Set, Lysa is giving away a KINDLE prize package worth over $175.00! To enter just click on one of the icons below! One winner will receive:

* A brand new Kindle with Wi-Fi & the New E Ink Pearl Screen
* KINDLE editions of Lysa’s Made to Crave and Becoming More Than A Good Girl


But, wait there is more!

Lysa will be announcing the winner of the Made to Crave KINDLE Giveaway on February 8th during the Made To Crave Party on Facebook!


During the party Lysa will chat with guests, host a trivia contest or two, and give away lots of other fun prizes (copies of Lysa’s other books and Amazon.com, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates) – including a live Author Chat with Lysa for your small group!


Don’t miss the fun! Lysa is looking forward to learning more about you – so be sure to stop by Lysa's Facebook Author Page on February 8th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MST, 7 PM CST, & 8 PM EST).

How I Avoid Burnout

This post should really be called How I Avoid Burnout and Remedy it When it Happens.  I have suffered from burnout occasionally in the 12+ years I have been homeschooling.  It was never bad enough to make me give up on my commitment.  I have dealt with the problem in different ways over the years.  Since my memory of those times isn't perfect I will share what I do in the present.

Whenever I am feeling burnt out I know it is time to reevaluate what we are doing each day, refocus, and recommit to homeschooling.  As the school year progresses I seem to add to our workload.  There are so many wonderful things we can study and sometimes I am tempted to add more than I should.  As the burden grows I become frazzled and worn out.  When I start to feel this coming on I reassess what we need to accomplish and drop the extras for awhile.  I always vow not to overburden myself again but all of the little extras I add on catch up with me eventually and I have to drop them and go back to basics.

I like to review some of my teacher resources, such as, The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Third Edition), Art Robinson's Course of Study in the Robinson Curriculum,  or articles about using Charlotte Mason's methods in the homeschool.  These inspire me to keep going and make sure I'm focusing most of our attention on the most important school subjects instead of all the extras.  I usually find myself reviewing my inspiration sources in the spring and fall.  I am actually going through this process right now.

I try to study some subjects seasonally instead of always doing everything.  We school year round so changing our electives every few months adds new life to our routine.  For example, in the spring and summer we focus more on nature study and gardening and take a break from foreign language.

I try to keep our schooling focused on the basics to avoid burnout in the first place and that seems to work for us.  I also focus on teaching my children to be independent learners so as they get older I will have the time to work with my younger students on phonics and beginning math.

If all of the above measures don't work I will schedule a school break for a week or two so we can all rest and enjoy some time just being at home together.  I plan any big house projects over our holiday breaks.  I know I can only do so much while our homeschool is in session so I keep my days as simple as possible.  I find that burnout happens more often when I am overburdened with housekeeping so I train my children to help as much as possible.  We call this home ec!

I hope I've offered you a few helpful suggestions to avoid burnout.  If you have any tips for me, please leave them below in the comments section.